Office update – April 20

April 20th, 2018

Dear Families,

The Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) is committed to providing safe, caring and inclusive places for everyone. One way to find out how we are doing is to ask students in grades 4 to 12 about their health and well-being. We are inviting students to share their feedback via a survey.

The Safe Caring and Inclusive Student Survey

What is the student survey about?

WRDSB wants to better understand areas of child development that contribute to students’ well-being, health and school success. The survey asks students about their thoughts, feelings and experiences in school and in the community. The survey asks students about:

1) Social and emotional development, such as self-esteem, optimism, happiness and empathy;

2) Feelings of connectedness to school, family, friends, and communities;

3) School experiences;

4) Physical health and well-being; and

5) Time use after school hours, as well as students’ wishes for after-school time.

When and how will the student survey happen?

In April and May, students in grades 4 to 12 will be invited to complete the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI). Students will do this online survey during school time with staff supervision. The survey is anonymous – your child’s name will not be on the survey and your child will not be identified in any way. Your child can choose whether or not he or she wants to complete the survey. If a question bothers a student in any way, the student may skip the question or can stop answering the survey altogether. All students will receive information about who they can reach out to should they need help. The information that your child provides in the survey will be combined with that of other students.

How will the school and community benefit from the results of the student survey?

The results from the student survey will be used to produce reports for schools that will help us plan and/or revise our Safe, Caring and Inclusive School initiatives. Board level reports will be shared with the community. WRDSB will also share the summarized anonymous data with research partners from the University of British Columbia who will collaborate with board staff for analysis of the data. If you and/or your child choose not to participate, this will not affect his/her grades or other school outcomes in any way.

If you have any questions or concerns or do not wish for your child to participate, please contact your school principal. If you do not wish for your child to complete the survey, please contact the school principal no later than one week after receiving this notification.

We will be seeking your feedback in a separate parent/guardian survey that will be launching in late April.

Thank you for your continued interest in our schools, and for helping us do our best to ensure a safe and respectful learning environment for everyone.